Trung Son Hydropower, a responsible model

(VEN) - The medium-scale Trung Son Hydropower Plant is considered a responsible electricity production model in Vietnam.

Vu Huu Phuc, the chairman and director of the Trung Son Hydropower Co. Ltd, said that the second turbine of the Trung Son Hydropower Plant in the central province of Thanh Hoa began generating electricity for the national grid on March 21.

This was an important milestone, creating motivation for units and contractors to accelerate the installation of machinery and equipment of the remaining two turbines. All four turbines are scheduled to be put into operation in the second quarter of 2017.

The Trung Son Hydropower Plant is Vietnam’s first hydropower project funded by credit from the World Bank - US$330 million - accounting for 85 percent of total investment. Upon its full operation, the plant is expected to provide more than one billion kWh for the national grid each year.

The plant’s location was selected after four years of research, survey and evaluation. The plant not only is safe in the technical aspect, but also minimizes negative impact on the environment.

In terms of technical design, the Trung Son Hydropower Plant satisfies international safety standards. To increase the level of safety, additional dams and drainage ditches were built.

In particular, the composition of spillway was calculated to withstand an earthquake measuring 6.07 on the Richter scale. In addition, the reservoir can contain 112 million cu.m of water, which will help control floods in the rainy season.

Vu Huu Phuc said that in the implementation process, in addition to the regulations set out by Vietnam, the investor must also comply with strict regulations and standards set by the World Bank on the quality and construction progress. In addition, the investor must meet the requirements in terms of environmental and social responsibilities.

The Trung Son Hydropower Plant project has also spent US$28 million to implement a total of more than 50 packages for improvement of life and livelihoods of affected people and environmental protection. In addition, a detailed plan and communication system have been developed to ensure that all issues and complaints related to the project, such as compensation and resettlement of affected populations, are resolved quickly.

The Trung Son Hydropower Plant project is an example of a responsible electricity production model. The success of the

project can be a model for the development of other hydropower plants in Vietnam in a sustainable manner.